Tanglewood Ukuleles
Tanglewood are a British company and best known for their guitars but have recently started adding ukuleles to their collection. Their ukes are at the cheaper end of the scale; from brightly coloured ukes at around £25 to a range of solid spruce top ukes around the £100 mark.
On Video
kennymelodica on a Tanglewood ukulele.
On Amazon UK
34 Comments
Hi,
I bought a Tanglewood Uke and I have to say it is a great instrument! It was from the cheaper end of the market a £30 one but it plays very well with a good action.
I bought a used (4 year old) Tanglewood concert uke TU-4223 in beautiful condition, not a mark on it and it came with its original strings. It sounded dead so I fitted a new set of Aquilla strings expecting great things. What a disapointment. It still sounded dead and with no resonance and no sustain. If this is the standard of uke Tanglewood produce, I would not recomend anyone buying one!
i have just bought a tanglewood TU 1 CE Soprano Cutaway uke after being very impressed when i got my tanglewood tw45 guitar. i am very happy with it and i think it sounds awesome. 🙂
Just got my first uke – a Tanglewood TU4 – yesterday.
I just start playing so I don’t really know the differences of this uke comparing to others. But I think it’s pretty good for a beginner and a moderate player. It’s not as big as a normal-sized tenor uke yet it has the potential. Love it so far.
I’ve just bought a Tanglewood TU2 Soprano uke, and it’s great! A little pricey at £89.99 but in my opinion, it was well worth it. It has a nice warm sound to it.
I just bought my first uke – Tanglewood Concert. It has an amazing sound, beautiful finish and although I am a novice, I am having so much fun with it. I’m a guitar player and have found myself drifting to the uke when the guitar playing gets a bit tough. Love it, buy it…you have to have it!!!
I bought a new Tanglewood Concert TU7 as an upgrade from my starter Uke. Big disappointment to get it home only for one of the geared tuner pegs to fall out; on investigating another of them is also loose. I can’t even screw back in as the 2 holes are too wide for the srews to grip. Really shoddy workmanship. The rest of the Uke seemded well made shame that some poor finishing and what looks like cheap screws have ruined it. It will be going back to the shop as faulty goods.
I bougth a tu3 concert and i am very happy. I want to change the strings but the instrument seems very goog. I paid around 150 euros in brazil, in a expensive store.
I bought the TU5 baritone with the hard case. The instrument sounds very good and is built well, but the strings seem way to soft. The case is also good quality and the uke is built really well. Overall i’m very happy with it.
I bought the Tanglewood TU1 soprano, and I love it! It can play surprisingly loud for such a small instrument, seems well made and looks a lot better than other ukuleles in the same price range. Also at first I had to retune it constantly, but it’s been almost two weeks now and that problem has passed. I will definitely recommend it to anyone. Plus a uke (in general) is great party entertainment! 🙂 I was at a party at my brother’s house this weekend, and these girls kept wanting me to play! 😀 Guys, get one!
I have a new tangle wood ukulele Tu3 model. When playing with the stock strings, the sounds is quite bad.(I give 1 star)
When I change to a better Aquila low G string , the sound transform to at least 3 stars.
The neck is straight , bridge height great…rather well constructed model. What more this is a 18 fret concert Ukulele.
Just got my first uke, a tuj-1, from the tanglewood java series. I googled it to find out that a lot a places were selling them for £170. Got mine for £125 in my local music shop.
It had aquila strings already and has a lovely sound. The strings aren’t too high and it is lovely looking. The top is a solid ‘java’ koa, i dont know the difference from normal koa and ‘java’ koa.
There’s not many reviews of this uke online since it’s part of a new range i think.
Definately recommend!!
I have just bought a Tanglewood Union Series TU 1 CE Soprano Uke…not very impressed with it I have to say. Change to Aquilla strings to see if any improvement but it’s still very tinny sounding. I bought it as I need a pick-up and this one has one built in. can anyone give me any ideas as to how to improve the sound….it was not so cheap. NZ$180.00 So would have expected a more mellow sound for that money…
Just purchased a Tanglewood TU6 as a present for a child. What rubish the action is so bad by the time you’ve pressed a string down on the fret board it’s out of tune. I purchased on line so I Didn’t know until it arrived. It’s a Christmas present so after I have to file the nut and drop the bridge
I have the Union series soprano
It is fasbulous. The sound was very loud and resonant.
It was 130aud and i didnt need to replace the strings at all.
My husband bought me a Tanglewood TU1 and I just love it! It sounds great and stays in tune well also. If you are looking to buy your 1st Ukulele this is the one!
I have the Tu5 baritone and I’m super happy with it, can’t put it down. It has a far better tone than my $1200 Cole Clark which plays like a wet shoe box or worse. Thank you Tanglewood.
I bought the Tanglewood Union Series TU4 Tenor. Even with the so-called horrible black strings it sounded and played better than every other uke of any size, and of any price, that I trialed in many stores. The tone is sweet and true, the action is just right for me. The fact that it was at least AU$100 cheaper than its nearest comparable (sound quality/ease of play) uke and that it came with a hard-case is just icing on the cake – with candles.
The PROs:
1. It is very light (see CONs), however, it has a very solid construction.
2. Easy to finger – I have large hands.
3. A sweet, clear tone.
4. Very inexpensive.
5. Includes a hard case.
The CONs:
1. It’s amazingly light for a tenor uke, 469g, you feel you might crush it if you clasp it too tightly. I also own an Eleuke Peanut MP3 solid body soprano 557g and a KeAloha UK40 soprano 410g. The lightness was disconcerting and made me feel something may have been left out of the construction. However on investigating other Tanglewood products -guitars etc – I found the lightness is normal.
2. Tanglewood Ukes seems to have a negative reputation. Almost all the musician salesmen I approached turned their noses up when I mentioned the Tanglewood range, as though it were a substandard instrument.
3. Black strings. I haven’t replaced mine yet but I will fairly soon. There’s nothing ‘wrong’ with them exactly, but there’s something not quite ‘right’ about them either – the feel is just not there.
My uke playing skills improved massively with this ukulele. I love playing it.
I bought a Tanglewood soprano from ebay. It seemed fine but while tuning it yesterday the whole bloody bridge came off. I noticed the cheap construction, a dab of glue and two overlong screws going into the bodywork about 1 and half mm thick? I thought there may a least have been another bit of wood inside to hold the screws more securely but no. Cheap rubbish, avoid them.
The best thing about the TU3 I bought is the hard case it came with ,wolf tones or dead spots on “A” flat become so annoying after a while I stop playing, in fact anything past the 5th fret is dead. this may be a fault with the TU3 only because this model comes with aquilla strings and a hard case ,perhaps as an inducement to buy, I wont buy another Tanglewood
I just got a TU 9 and I must say I will probably return it, the sound is very mellow and kind of dull, very much like a dull guitar, in spite of its having Aquila strings, it is probably good for classical players but I need something that makes the ukulele sound, you know, a bit tinny and happy. This instrument doesn’t sound very happy.
I bought a Tanglewood Uke TU1 soprano, with Aquila strings and I love it.(£62) It has a mellow sound and is much better than my previous uke. After two weeks it holds the notes well. It came with a good solid case. I’d recommend to anyone. Now thinking about an electric one. Any ideas?
My first uke was the union series TU 4, have been playing it for over 12 months with the original black strings, it has volume and is light and holds it tune for long periods through all the heat and humidity here in Australia. I upgraded recently to a Lanikai tenor smp tca electric or so ithought , the little tanglewood leaves it for dead in tone, volume ,playability , construction everything. Considering the price difference in entry level ukes and perhaps the next level, that certainly does not reflect in the sound and the playability. Maybe i was expecting to much or made a bad choice, who knows the lanakai may free up over time, it is cool to be able to play through my new Luna suitcase amp Santa left for me. Aukkie Uker
I bought a tanglewood TU1 soprano with Aquila strings and I’m crazy about the solid case and the great sound
ICH HABE MIR EINE TANCLELWOOD TU 9 EQ KONCERT
VON MEINER FRAU VON EINEM MUSIKLADEN DEN ICH KENNE
ZUM TESTEN MIT GEBEN LASSEN, MIT AQUILA SEITEN,NACH DREI MINUTEN HATTE ICH KEINE LUST MEHR DER SOUND IST EINFACH TOT,TROCKEN UND KLINGT GLEICH AB.FINGER WEG !
Recently brought a Tanglewood tribal Zebrano concert, love it, love the look and feel of it and love playing it! 🙂
Bought a Tanglewood TU4 a month ago from Musostuff in Bendigo, VIC. They have a whole room dedicated to Ukes and uke-related items, and understand and play them too.
It was a great deal and I really love that uke. It’s my first tenor, wish I’d bought one decades back. The ageing fingers love the low action and easier string/fret spacing (vs my 1950s Gem Soprano). Very light to hold.
The sound is beyond great… One doesn’t truly hear how good it is until someone else plays it, because it projects very well. Really is loud, ‘big’ too.
Reading the comments above, it looks like the TU4 may be the one to go for?
I’m really happy with mine, and pleased by how many other musicians have commented on the excellent tone. Recommended.
More on the TU-4…
It gets better!
I’ve always wanted to try a Linear tuning (Low G) and the Aquila Red Low G set was tempting enough to find itself installed on the TU-4 last week.
We used a bit of heavy linen thread wrapped around the thinner strings next to the knot, then knotted on. This has eliminated the string breakage problem, so far. It acts something like a soft washer that protects the string from any sharp[ edges inside the bridge slot.
How do they sound? Marvellous!
Not just my opinion, some seriously uke-agnostic people have commented on how good it sounds. It was warmly praised at a gig today by other Uke players who were sporting seriously superior instruments and had been playing for decades.
The main thing is that it is all I could wish for.
REmarkable sound, and a wonderful feel too.
I bought the Tanglewood Tribal Spirit Soprano ukulele in zebra wood, back in November and I don’t regret the purchase at all. I picked up on eBay for £40, which is about £20-£30 under the RRP, so bargains are to be had.
It looks great in the zebra wood (even with a laminate top) and sounds very loud and clear. When I play with people I often receive compliments and it has been said that the tone is comparable with something much more expensive.
The action is very low, which makes it extremely easy to play, although I do occassionally get a slight buzzing from the C string at the top end of the fretboard.
It is also worth noting that the body is larger that your average soprano uke, which gives it great volume – but consider this when buying a hard case.
I’m definitely looking into other Tanglewoods now, as their range has expanded up to £200 – £300 ukes too. I know what I’m getting now and wouldn’t hesitate to buy another Tanglewood.
I’ve had my Tanglewood TU1 ce for 2 years and came by way of a part-exchange. Honestly at the time I wouldn’t have bought it, not with the weird looking cutaway. Now I wouldn’t part with it.
I have just bought a Tanglewood TU4 and I can’t put it down. It has a really nice bright tone that I really like, is well made and looks great. ‘Does what it says on the tin’
i’ve had a Tanglewood Tribal Spirit for a year or so, inherited from my kids. Very disappointed, sound is pretty average, not clear, resonating or loud. More importantly the bridge is in the wrong place, as you go up the fretboard it gets more and more sharp. Should have realised when I was buying it for him but I’m a bit cloth eared!
Hi there, does anyone know if the Tanglewood Tenor TUPWET ukulele is a solid body or veneers?
I can’t find out any information about it. When I look inside the sound hole, it looks to have the walnut grain inside as well.
Thanks, for any help with this.
The included Tanglewood concert ukulele has four colored strings that will help anyone learn to play faster than ever! Our Learn-To-Play bundle includes a beautiful natural colored Tanglewood concert ukulele, Aquila Kids colored strings already installed on the uke, a padded gig bag, a Korg PC-2 Clip-on tuner and a full, 32-page method book that will get even pre-readers playing in no time.
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